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Body Building 



"By 
HENRY N. HULANDER 



COPTniGHT 1921 BT 

HENRY N. HULANDEB. 



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©C1A623146 




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Body Building 



Exercises adapted to persons 
of all ages Male and Female 



by 

HENRY N. HULANDER 

Director of the 

Hydriatic Institute 
of Brooklyn 



''For the Whole Family" 



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i4 



BODY BUILDING 



OBSERVATIONS ON MUSCULAR 
ACTIVITY 




INCE the human body is largely composed of 
muscles, it is reasonable to assume that an 
intelligent use of them is beneficial. 

The proper use of muscles saturates the 
blood with oxygen and causes the blood to flush the 
tissues of the body. Waste matters are thus removed, 
and the fires of life are made to burn brightly. 

When the muscles are exercised the old, feeble 
cells are replaced for new and stjrong ones. Physical 
exercise,, therefore, actually rebuilds the body. 

Will power and courage are also strengthened. 

Whenever physical exercise is taken in an im- 
proper manner, good results can not naturally be 
gained. 

Exercises performed in rapid succession, difficult 
exercises and especially competitive movements (fen- 
cing, boxing and attempts to run, swim and jump 
higher, faster or longer than others) quickly exhaust 
the nerve energy, and they endanger and strain the 
entire body. Brain workers, persons less robust and 
those who have passed middle age waste time and 
energy engaging in such exercises. 

Robust youth should be taught difficult exercises 
in order to gain power of handling their own bodies 
under difficult conditions. Policemen, soldiers and 
firemen need careful training in difficult exercises. 



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BODY BUILDING 



Slow movements, and especially those that can 
be performed without mental effort, furnish great 
muscular activity at small expens^ of nerve energy. 
Walking is the best example of this kind of exercise, 
but swimming, rowing, horse-back and bicycle riding 
may also be learned so thoroughly as to become auto- 
matic exercises, requiring small mental effort 

These activities are especially beneficial because 
they furnish recreation without the nerve exhausting 
excitement of competitive exercise. 

Simple and slow games, such as golfing and 
horse-shoe throwing (quoits), are excellent forms 
of recreative exercise. Very good fun and exercise 
may be had from throwing a medicine ball. 

Special movements, however, are required to meet 
and overcome the effects of one sided and confining 
work, improper posture habits and malnutrition. 

The chest may be widened and the abdominal 
muscles and organs may be strengthened and stim- 
ulated. The spine may be limbered, straightened 
and strengthened. 

Children may be made to grow straight and 
strong. Every boy and girl, therefore, should be 
taught the importance of a straight spine, a wide 
chest and strong abdominal muscles. They should 
also be taught to secure these advantages by simple 
exercises. 

The chief object of exercise should be to im- 
prove and preserve the health, and to fit us for our 
work. To acquire bulging muscles, and to be able 



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BODY BUILDING 



to run faster and jump higher than others, is not 
necessary to efficiency and physical well-being. 

Mental and physical exercise alike are necessary 
to the best of health, and our work and recreation, 
therefore, should give us mental and physical acti- 
vity in the right proportion. 

Expending the brain energy in too constant and 
strenuous physical exercise, tends to fit a person for 
heavy manual labor rather than for intellectual acti- 
vity. 

A better division of the working hours between 
the fields and the factory or office would undoubt- 
edly be effected if the industrial enterprises were 
more often located in the country districts. 

Not only the health and happiness of the indi- 
vidual, but also the progress and strength of the 
nation, depend in no small degree upon scientific and 
thorough application of muscular activity. 

Conditions which forbid the taking of physical 
excercise: 

1. Acute inflammatory conditions. 

2. Fevers. 

3. Acute heart diseases and serious valvular 
impairment. 

Conditions in which the taking of bodily exercise 
must be" carefully modified and, if possible, super- 
vised by a competent physician : 

I. In ulcers of the stomach, lungs and other 
organs violent exercises and especially those move- 
ments involving the diseased parts should be avoided. 



(5) 




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BODY BUILDING 



Gentle movements of parts distant from the affected 
organs may, as a rule, be taken with benefit. 

2. Arterio sclerosis and high blood pressure 
require gentle exercises. 

3. Hernia. 

4. All violent exercise must be avoided in aneur- 
ism, concretions of the I^idrieys or gall bladder, em- 
bolism and pregnancy. 

5. Affections of the heart require gentle exer- 
cise (leg and arm movements are most suitable). 

6. In conditions of greatly lessened nerve power 
over fatigue is readily caused by too rapid, difficult 
and prolonged exercise. 

A well developed body and a normal posture per- 
mit the internal organs to function properly, but a 
stiff, depressed chest and sagging abdomen weaken 
the heart and the lungs, crowd the abdominal organs 
dov^n out of position and allow the blood to stagnate 
in vital organs. 

The resulting impairment of vital functions grad- 
ually impoverishes the blood and weakens the nerve 
centres, thereby ruining health and working power. 

The development of a weak and abnormal body 
is prevented and overcome by proper exercise and 
diet and by persistent efforts to maintain a correct 
posture. 

Posture C, showing rigid muscles, raised should- 
ers and saddle back, is ungraceful and weakens the 
lower back. It is often assumed with the idea of cor- 
recting a weak bodily attitude. 



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BODY BUILDING 



Vigorous chest raising is at first best taken sitting 
down, because in this position (especially if the legs 
are held out straight) the lower back is held from 
curving unduly forward. 

For the same purpose the abdomen is drawn in as 
the chest is raised. 

DIRECTIONS. 

Perform the exercises slowly, with a distinct in- 
terval between each of them. 

Don't stififen the whole body while exercising only 
a part. (Prolonged tensing hinders the circulation 
and taxes the nerve powers.) 

Breathe slowly and don't hold the breath. 

Inhale fully, but don't strain. 

At first perform each movement only a few times, 
and increase the number of times gradually. 

Don't exercise until fatigued. 

Go through a lesson once or twice a day. 

If practicable, rest (recline) a few minutes before 
and after a lesson. 

Perform the movements in numerical succession. 

Too tight clothing should not be worn while exer- 
cise is taken. 

Children need to play and run out of doors every 
day in addition to the special exercises. 

Young men and women, if in fairly robust condi- 
tion, should take daily a long walk, then a short run, 
followed by a longer walk, but the breath should not 
be allowed to become short. 



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Fjg.A 




FIG. B 



BODY BUILDING 



Walking with gradual increase of distance should 
be part of the daily program for middle aged and 
elderly persons of both sexes. 



BALANCE MOVEMENTS. 

Mov. A.' Raise heels slowly as high as possible 
as arms are raised forward (See Fig. A, page 9). 
Keep heels together. Lower heels and arms again. 

Mov. B. After movement A has been practiced 
for a few days, the heels are first raised as in Mov. A, 
and then the knees are bent (a little at first, but deep- 
er gradually) as the arms are drawn outward (See 
Fig. B, page 10). Keep body erect. 

Beginners may omit the _ arm movements and 
steady the body by placing one or both hands on chair 
or table. 

Chief Effects: 

Increases the power of bodily control and bal- 
ance; strengthens the legs; diverts the blood down- 
wards. 



(11) 



BODY BUILDING 



CHEST RAISING AND HEAD BENDING. 

Starting Position : 

Sitting with the hands placed on the knees. 

Active Movement : 

Pull on knees, raise the chest (straighten, the 
back) and bend the head slowly backward and for- 
ward once, before relaxing the back. Inhale slowly 
as the head bends backward. 

In raising the chest, care must be taken not to 
curve the lower back forward. The abdomen is 
therefore vigorously contracted as the chest is raised. 
As an additional safeguard a preventive starting posi- 
tion may be assumed (especially important for chil- 
dren and beginners). The body may lean forward. 
The feet may be supported higher than floor level. 

As the head bends backward, the chin is pushed 
as far upward and backward as possible, but not 
forward. Don't raise the shoulders. 

The chest raising is assisted by pulling with the 
hands on the knees, but after the chest is fully raised 
the hands may cease pulling for a few seconds in order 
to compel the back-muscles to act vigorously, in an 
efifort to maintain a straight spine without assistance. 

Chief Effects: 

Expands the chest; straightens the spine; limbers 
and straightens the neck. (By "straighten," the writer 
means the correction of abnormal curvatures.) 



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BODY BUILDING 



BACK LIMBERING. 

Starting Position : 

Mov. A. Standing. with legs apart; right hand 
on left hip. 

Active Movement : 

Slide the right hand downward along the left leg 
as body is turned to left and bent. The other arm is 
drawn backward and upward. Keep legs straight. 

After the body is straightened slide the left hand 
along the right leg as body is turned to right and bent. 

Chief Effects: 

Limbers and strengthens the back. 



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BODY BUILDING 



A. KNEE RAISING. B. LEG RAISING. 

Starting Position for A. B. and C. 

Standing; beginners and elderly persons may sup- 
port themselves by placing one or both hands on 
tables or chairs. 

Active Movement : 

Mov. A. Bend and draw the knees one at a time 
as high as possible. 

Mov.^ B. Is performed by fairly robust persons 
after Mov. A has been practiced for a few days. The 
straight legs are raised one at a time. This movement 
should alternate but not substitute Mov. A. 

Keep chest high and supporting leg straight; don't 
lean backward. 



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BODY BUILDING 



C. KICKING BACKWARD. 

Mov. C. Is performed immediately after Mov. 
A. and B. have been repeated due number of times. 
The feet are raised backward and upward, one at a 
time, as high as possible. 

Chief Effects: 

Mov. A. Strengthens the pelvic and abdominal 
muscles and organs ; strengthens the front part of 
thighs ; limbers the knees ; gives balance and control 
of the body. 

Mov. C. Strengthens the back part of the thighs ; 
limbers the knees. 



(19) 



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Maj' be performed without chair. 



BODY BUILDING 



ROWING. 

Starting Position: (See Pos. A.) 

Mov. A. Sitting astride a stout chair; hands far 
apart grasping the back support; arms straight. 

Active Movement : 

The arms resist and yield slowly as the body itself 
presses forward toward Pos. B. Again move the 
body backward passively. 
Chief Effects: 

Strengthens the abdominal muscles and organs, 
the arms and the pectoral muscles. 

Mov. B. Starting position as in Mov. A. 

Active Movement: 

Pull the body slowly forward with the arms to 
Pos. B. while the body itself resists and yields slowly. 

Raise the chest and inhale as the body is pulled 
forward, but don't raise the shoulders and don't move 
the head and chin forward. 
Chief Effects: 

Strengthens back and arms; corrects shoulders. 

Children (especially in school) and less^ robust 
persons, perform rowing best without pushing and 
pulling against a chair. The body and arms are 
simply moved backward and forward as is shown in 
the picture, but the hands do not grasp any object. 

The vigor of the exercise is increased by sitting 
low, by supporting feet higher than floor level or by 
leaning further backward and forward. 



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BODY BUILDING 



A. KNEE RAISING. B. EXTENSION. 

(Lying.) 

Starting Position : 

Lying on the back; knees bent with feet resting 
on the bed. 

Active Movement : 

Draw both knees up toward the chest as high as 
possible. Replace. 

After the knee raising has been practiced for some 
time, persons, fairly robust, should extend, also, the 
legs toward the ceiling. 

Always bend the knees immediately before low- 
ering, as well as before extending the legs. 

Chief Effects : 

Strengthens the abdominal muscles and organs. 



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BODY BUILDING 



BEAR STANDING LEG RAISING. 

Starting Position : 

Hands supported on two chairs or bed, so that 
body leans forward; feet placed far back and heels 
somewhat raised. 

Active Movement : 

Raise one leg at a time as high as possible and 
stretch feet at the same time; don't bend the knees. 

Chief Effects: 

Strengthens and reduces the hips. 



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BODY BUILDING 



BEAR STANDING ARM RAISING. 

Starting Position : 

Hands supported on two chairs, bed or table so 
that the body leans forward. The movement is made 
more vigorous by raising the heels, by placing the 
feet farther back, and by placing the hands as well 
as the feet further apart. 

Active Movement : 

Raise one arm slowly forward, upward (as high 
as possible) and outward as-breath is inhaled. Re- 
place. Then move the other arm in the same manner. 

Don't move the body toward the supporting arm. 

Chief Effects : 

Strengthens the abdominal muscles and organs; 
widens the chest; limbers and corrects the shoulders. 



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BODY BUILDING 



ABDOMINAL CONTRACTION. 

Starting Position : 

Sitting (elbows may be supported on the knees) 
or lying (on one side with knees drawn up) or 
standing. 

Active Movement : 

Contract the abdominal muscles vigorously (draw 
the abdomen inward and upward). Then relax the 
muscles, and allow the abdomen to expand 
'moderately. 

The vigor of this exercise is increased by blowing 
through somewhat compressed lips (imitate the blow- 
ing of bubbles, the stirring of a low fire by a more 
sustained blowing and, as a variation, also the blow- 
ing out of three candle lights, one after the other 
in one breath). 

The inhalation is taken slowly and should expand 
the abdomen and the chest about equally, but without 
straining. The breath should never be held. 

Chief Effects: 

Strengthens the abdominal muscles and organs. 



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BODY BUILDING 



ARM RAISING. 

Starting Position : 
Sitting. 

Active Movement : 

Raise left arm and push it as high as possible 
(try as it were to touch an object just barely out of 
reach) and draw the other backward as slow breath 
is taken (a raising and expansion of the chest should 
be felt) . 

Don't lean the body backward, and don't move 
the head and chin forward. 

Return to the starting position as breath is exhaled. 

Then raise the right arm upward and retract the 
other as the breath is inhaled. 

After some practice both arms may be raised at 
the same time. 

Chief Effects :- 

Raises the chest; straightens the back; limbers 
the shoulders^ 



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BODY BUILDING 

A book of self help to better health 



Being lessons and exercises adap- 
ted to persons of all ages male and 
female 

The result of nearly twenty years 
study and teaching of gymnastics 
and their relation to good health 

Published by 

HENRY N. HULANDER 

Director of the 

Hydriatic Institute 
127 Halsey St., Brooklyn, N. Y. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 712 975 2 



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